Jill Maiorca | Photo Credit: San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. - Nearly two decades after Jill Maiorca disappeared from Big Bear Lake, her former husband has been arrested for her murder after cold case investigators linked him to human remains discovered hidden in a crawlspace beneath a home.
What we know:
On October 28, 2020, deputies from the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station responded to a call for service at a home in the 39000 block of Forest Road in Big Bear Lake.
The reporting party told law enforcement that human remains were found in a crawlspace underneath the house.
An autopsy was conducted on the remains, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide. Despite DNA testing, investigators were unable to identify the remains. Leaving the investigation unsolved.
In 2023, the Sheriff’s Cold Case Homicide Team took over the investigation and submitted the remains for additional DNA analysis. The remains were ultimately identified as those of Jill Maiorca.
According to detectives, Maiorca had been reported missing from Big Bear Lake in 2007. They were then able to identify her former husband, Jeff Maiorca, as a suspect in her murder.
Evidence indicated that Jill was murdered in November 2006 and her remains were concealed underneath the Forest Road home without the homeowner’s knowledge. She was 29-years-old at the time.
Arrest made in cold case
Dig deeper:
On September 21, 2026, Jeff Maiorca was arrested in connection with his wife's murder. He was taken into custody and booked into the Big Bear Jail.
No additional details were released.
Timeline of events
Timeline:
2006: Jill Maiorca was murdered
2007: Jill Maiorca was reported missing
2020: Homeowner finds human remains in crawlspace under home
2023: Remains were identified as that of Jill Maiorca
2026: Jill's husband, Jeff Maiorca, was arrested
What you can do:
Anyone with information regarding Jill Maiorca’s disappearance or murder is asked to contact Detective Malcolm Page or Sergeant Justin Giles, Specialized Investigations Division, Homicide Detail, at (909) 890-4916. You can remain anonymous by calling or texting REPORT to We-Tip at 844-909-3006 or visiting mobile.catapultems.com/sbcsd/Sites.
The Source: Information for this story came from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.